Poem Analysis,Subject Summarisation And Explanation : 'Meeting At Night' By Robert Browning

The second poem (Read about the first poem,'The Westminster Bridge' by William Wordsworth here.) we will be indulging ourselves in is a beautiful,romantic lyric,'Meeting At Night' composed by Robert Browning.The poem actually has a companion poem,'Parting At Day' and both poems are composed in a thrilling,mystic and romantic way and the readers just have to love this amazing piece of mysteriously beautiful artwork.

Please note that the companion poem,'Parting At Morning' is not included in the WBCHSE Syllabus.The poem has been provided for those who love poetry for poetry's sake and that of their own.

Meeting At Night

By Robert Browning

Credit : Source

The grey sea and the long black land;

And the yellow half-moon large and low;

And the startled little waves that leap

In fiery ringlets from their sleep,

As I gain the cove with pushing prow,

And quench its speed i' the slushy sand.

Then a mile of warm sea-scented beach;

Three fields to cross till a farm appears;

A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch

And blue spurt of a lighted match,

And a voice less loud, thro' its joys and fears,

Than the two hearts beating each to each!

Parting At Morning

By Robert Browning

Credit : Source

Round the cape of a sudden came the sea,

And the sun looked over the mountain's rim:

And straight was a path of gold for him,

And the need of a world of men for me.

 Robert Browning

(Photograph Source)

Poem Analysis,Summarisation And Explanation

The poem begins with the description of a coastal land; where the steady,realistic yet thrilling description of the sea in a shade of grey,the long black stretch of land,the yellow half-moon immediately unfurl the introduction of an incident in secrecy.The blend of the mystic environment along with the involvement of a secret meeting sets the plot of the poem,almost immediately attracting attention between the first three to four lines.

The movement of the waves have been described as 'startled',which most probably states that the waves were mild and irregular by the nature of their flow.

Next,the poem is written in first person,which is one of the best ways to intensify an adventurous sense in the mind of the reader.In the last two lines of the first stanza,the readers can almost feel the boat slow down as it enters a cove.

(To avoid confusion,it is being stated that i' refers to 'in'.)

The thrill of the adventure does not end here.It continues to crossing a mile of warm,

salty sea-like scented beach,three fields to cross till a farm appears with a tap at the pane.Either of the two lovers now, through a quick sharp scratch is able to ignite a lighted match that initially burns with a blue spurt.

The poet concludes by stating that now a voice less loud,by which he must be addressing that of the woman's,shares her joys and fears.The beating of the two hearts signify the comfort the lovers are able to find in the resonance of each other's company.

Special Credit : 'Mindscapes : Higher Secondary English Selections' Printed by Orient Blackswan on behalf of West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE).